Cooking Terms

Featured Glossary Term:

A traditional Asian cooking vessel shaped like a large low bowl with two handles. Modern woks are usually made from steel or aluminum. They heat food such as meats and vegetables quickly and evenly and are excellent for stir-frying food with a minimum of oil. Food is easily tossed in the wok to ensure even cooking. Typical Grill and Roasting Woks are made from porcelain enameled steel that is formed into square or round metal shapes with perforated holes on the surface for cooking various ingredients on outdoor grills. There are several types of Grill Woks available for use. One is made similar to a bowl Wok with slanted sides and an open center. Another type of Grill Wok, referred to as a Vertical Roasting Wok, is designed with a center container for holding basting liquids. The core container enables poultry to be basted from the inside out, adding moisture and flavors as the poultry cooks. As the food cooks, the basting liquid not only moistens the poultry but also drips onto the surrounding vegetables or other ingredients to enhance the flavors of other items being cooked. The Vertical Roasting Wok is often used to prepare a popular grilled item known as "Beer Can Chicken."

An oat product that is basically oat groats that have been cut into smaller pieces. This technique helps to reduce the cooking time to about 15 minutes, which is less than half that of oat groats that have not been cut.

An oat product that is basically oat groats that have been cut into smaller pieces. This technique helps to reduce the cooking time to about 15 minutes, which is less than half that of oat groats that have not been cut.

A powdery resin that covers quinoa seeds, which must be rinsed off before the seeds can be used. If the seeds are not rinsed properly, the resin will produce a bitter flavor that can be very unpleasant.

A dietary plan in which a pyramid (in the style of the USDA food guide pyramid) is used to illustrate the types of food and quantities of food that should be consumed to maintain a diet based on the healthful traditional diets of the people who lived in Greece, Crete, and southern Italy during the early 1960's.

A type of low grade olive oil that must be refined before it can be sold for human consumption. The oil is obtained from the residue that remains after the "first cold pressing." Up to 90% of the oil is obtained from the olives during the first cold pressing, but the remaining 10% is contained within the residue.